


somewhere we can be alone

by nagitoezz



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, Homophobia, Inspired by Romeo and Juliet, Kinda?, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Strangers to Lovers, Underage Drinking, george and minx go to seven eleven a lot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:08:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29288094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nagitoezz/pseuds/nagitoezz
Summary: In which Dream and George meet at a party and things go from there.*Inspired by Romeo and Juliet*
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Darryl Noveschosch & Sapnap, Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound & Minx | JustAMinx (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

“Dude, she dumped you. Big whoop. Quit whining,”

Dream groans into a pillow, voice drowned out by some shitty pop music Sapnap put on. His hands twitch for a moment before he reveals his face. “I just really thought she was the one, you know?”

Dream reaches over Bad to grab a bag of Doritos. His eyes stay glazed over as he stuffs the chips into his mouth, not even bothering to defend himself when Bad makes a noise of disgust and Sapnap rolls his eyes. 

The last weeks of summer are always notorious for their scoring heats and lazy atmosphere. These days seem to bleed together, each day dripping from humidity and slowly passing hours. 

But Bad and Sapnap are stuck with Dream, who has helped these final weeks be anything but dull.

“It’s not even that big of a deal. Think of it, like, a favor! Now you can go into school without a relationship to tie you down,” Sapnap offers.

“But I  _ want  _ a relationship,” Dream complains. “Someone who I can confide in and commit to. Someone who is forever.”

Sapnap physically gags before leaning back on his palms. “Oh cut it out with all that cheesy shit. You got dumped by your highschool girlfriend of what, sixth months? No need to go all Shakespeare and recite a fucking tragedy. Get over yourself,”

“It was seven and a half,” Dream mutters before slamming his face back into his pillow.

“Language, Sapnap,” Bad scolds as he snatches the Doritos back from Dream. After chewing thoughtfully, he frowns. “Dream, Don’t get all down on yourself. Everyone loves you! I’m sure there’s at least ten other girls who would gladly date you. Why don’t you branch out and try to find someone new?”

“Yeah, maybe Maia was right. I mean, it’s not like you have to settle down. Just get laid, it would be good for you,” Sapnap giggles, before wincing as he notices Dream’s mussed up hair. He recognizes Dream’s rumpled green hoodie, the one he wore the day before, and the day before that. He notices deep bags beneath his eyes and faint tear tracks running down his cheeks. 

“Hey, man,” Sapnap’s voice loses its edge, “It’s okay to take your time,”Just try to look on the bright side of things. Now you’re the most eligible bachelor in the school!”

Bad snickers. “Yeah seriously. Anyone would kill to be in your position right now.”

\---

“George, can we talk to you?” 

George closes his book and runs down the stairs. His mother’s tone sets dread in the pit of his stomach.  _ Did they find out about the guy at summer camp last year? _ Pushing his thoughts away, he timidly pads into the kitchen where both of his parents were sitting at the kitchen table with slight smiles on their faces. Feeling a little more relieved from the friendly atmosphere, he takes a seat.

George really does love his parents, despite everything. He can recall all the nights that they helped with homework or stayed far up past midnight to check up on him when he was ill. But he still worried. He knew that religion had a way of worming its way into every conversation with his parents, and that beliefs had made a point of looking down on the way George’s heart flutters and cheeks redden in the presence of another boy.

“What is it?” He asks politely, masking his fears behind a carefully practiced mask of contentedness.

“Sweetie, we were just talking to Rebecca’s parents this morning. And we all agreed that you two have been so happy together!”

“Yes. I am, indeed, very happy. Jubilated, even,” He lies quite terribly.

“You’re almost an adult George,” His dad cuts in, thankfully ignoring his poor acting, “And as a grown man, your job is to get a job. Get a wife, have kids. Provide for them.”

“Yes dad, I know.” George doesn’t have a clue where this was heading. 

“So, we decided, after some talking,” his mom glances at his dad, the two exchanging a knowing look, “That you’ve grown so much, and that you should really start considering-”

“We want you to propose to Becca.” George’s dad interrupts once again.

George’s eyes widen, letting his facade slip for a quick second. Hopefully it isn’t too much of a difference for his parents to notice. He pulls himself back together, feigning innocence. “Really? I’ve been focusing on school mostly, so I haven’t really thought about marriage all too much.”

His mom takes his hand and squeezes it. “It’s okay to take your time, honey. We just want you to start considering it. It’s very hard these days to find someone you really love.”

_ Love. _ That word settles in the pit of his stomach, blooming black dread. He almost wants to laugh. If only his parents knew what he was really thinking.

“So, what do you think? You gonna pop the question?” His mom’s hands dancing close to her face, her wide smile almost bringing George to tears. Why is she happy? This wasn’t  _ fair. _ He doesn’t love Minx. He  _ can’t  _ love Minx.

Suddenly far too overwhelmed, He pushes his chair away from the table. “I-I’m going to go to my room now,” he stammers, flashing a tight smile at his parents before rushing up the stairs. 

As soon as he enters his bedroom, he lets out a breath. How long had it been since he really breathed? His parents have a way of constricting him, boxing him into their mold until he was suffocating. He shuts the door softly, not bothering to switch on the lights. He heaves another ragged breath and flops onto his mattress, staring blank at the ceiling. 

Dread still pools in the pit of his stomach, and one question flashes in his mind in white, searing letters:

_ What am I supposed to do? _

\---

“I’m not going.”

Dream pulls his covers over his head even more, making the snack wrappers on his bed crinkle. 

Bad tries pulling the bedsheets back down, but his friend has a surprisingly strong grip. “Nobody said you had to. But we’re worried about you. You’ve been holed up in your room for four days! Even your sister was texting us for help since she couldn’t get you out of bed.”

“We’ll stay for one hour,” Sapnap begs. “You won’t even have to drink. And you know Maia’s parents are loaded. With the size of her house,you probably won’t even see her.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Quit being a bitch. You’re going.” Sapnap takes the blanket and wrestles it off the bed, throwing it to the floor. Under it reveals Dream curled up in a ball, with a half-eaten chocolate bar and his earbuds blasting music so loud both boys could hear it.

“Get up, you muffinhead” Bad scolds. “And get changed. Surely nobody wants to see the school’s golden boy looking like this? Wouldn’t want to hurt your reputation,”

Sapnap snickers.“Yeah ‘ _ golden boy’ _ . That fragile masculinity of yours isn’t looking too hot,”

“Stop calling me that,” Dream mumbles into the mattress.

“Come on Dream, this party could be good for you! Maybe you’ll find some new friends!” Bad offers kindly, optimistic as ever.

“If you don’t come I’ll leak the Dan and Phil fanfiction you wrote in seventh grade” Sapnap deadpans.

“You fucking wouldn’t,”

“I fucking  _ would _ ,” Sapnap hisses, “With the milk fanart and  _ everything.  _ I will dig so deep into your old Wattpad, I’ll find stuff you don’t even remember,”

Dream contemplates snapping Sapnap’s neck right then and there, but Bad interjects first. He slaps Sapnap on the arm, huffing.“Language! Both of you! Dream, you better take a shower right now, because we’re  _ going  _ to this party. All of us,”

Dream, too exhausted to argue, pushes himself up from his bed. “Whatever,” he grumbles, padding down the hall towards the bathroom. 

\---

“What the fuck. They didn’t.”

George, despite the real weight of the situation, bursts out laughing. “They did! They did! ”

“Why would I marry you? You’re a bigger twink than John F. Kennedy,” Minx teases, pushing George away.

George huffs in mock-annoyance, rolling his eyes. “And why would I marry a bitch like you?” He yelps as he receives a punch on the arm.

Minx has a way of making George feel better, even about something as big as arranged marriage. It makes him hopeful that maybe if she didn’t want it either it wouldn’t happen at all.

She flips him off, checking her phone. Her eyes widen, sparkling with something mischievous, a look far too familiar for George. 

He groans. “What is it now?”

“Maia’s having a party tomorrow! I say we crash it. Pretend to be the cool new kids when we’re really just some closeted losers who transferred from the Catholic school.”

“Who’s Maia?”

“She’s cool. Friends with Niki I think.”

George relaxes a little at this. Niki was Minx’s friend who was actually very sweet and almost motherly, the direct opposite of the rambunctious girl who sits beside him. Any party where Niki was involved was sure to be legit and not just some sketchy hangout with sweaty, drunk teenagers.

Minx and George’s relationship is a complicated one. Bonding over having very Christian, conservative parents and also being further in the closet than numerous U.S. presidents, they were basically each other’s cover up. According to their parents, the two had been dating since sophomore year. And it was going to stay that way apparently, based on their parent’s wishes. 

The only reason they were both allowed to transfer to the town’s public high school for their last year was because the Catholic school wasn’t getting enough money and had to let go students. George and Minx were lucky that they were two of the about twenty kids set to go to public high school.

Minx must spot the look of hesitance in George’s expression because she quickly says, “C’mon, it’ll be fun! We barely know anyone in our grade and we can establish dominance or some shit.”

“And we’ll dress up like cool hipsters, smoke weed all night, and look intimidating.” George jokes.

“Quick, we need to buy beanies!”

“And wear winged eyeliner!”

They burst out laughing, George stopping to take a sip of his iced tea. “This is depressing. We’re in the parking lot of a Seven Eleven eating snacks we stole. I need to get a life”

“Sounds like the life to me,” Minx winks.

George rolls his eyes. “So, about this party,” he leans back on the bench running his free hand along the top rim of his can, “Are we gonna have to pretend like we’re-”

“Oh, George, fuck no! Trust me, the last person I want to be seen with at this party is you,” 

This earns Minx a shove from George, and in return she smacks the upside of his head. George, unprepared for this attack, drops his iced tea in shock, screeching as the sugary drink spills onto the duo’s laps. 

“Aw, look what you've done now, George. You’ve fuckin’ made me wet!”

The two burst out laughing again, gasping for breath between loud bouts of giggling. As the sun dips into the horizon, painting the sky shades of pink and orange, the two head home, thoughts of the impending party still fresh in their minds.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night of the party finally arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a little more then one day and i already have chapter two..so here it is! i also really like this chapter, things are starting to pick up! i didn't really make this so much of the "romeo and juliet" party scene like in the play but mostly this fic is just modeled after the dynamics of romeo and juliet..but with a more modern take!  
> thanks for the support already, even though there's only one chapter! it really motivated me to keep on writing.  
> *tw for underage drinking! nothing too bad but watch out!*

“This party is incredibly stupid,”

Minx snorts and nudges George’s shoulder. “Really?!” she feigns shock, “Why, George, what makes you say that?”

The duo looks out over a sea of sweaty, drunk bodies shuffling around. The sticky August air has the fabric of his T-shirt clinging to his chest. The humidity makes him feel like he's walking through swamp water. Some kid decided that it would be a good idea to dim the lights so that George could barely make out a single face in the bustling crowd. The excitement of the impending school year and commotion of the event almost makes George forget about the fiasco with his parents. Almost.

They both look back at each other.

“Do I really need to explain myself?” George answers, grimacing as he sips from the cup in his hands. “These drinks taste like shit. I’m pretty sure someone just spiked Kool Aid,”

Minx snickers. “More like spiked piss,” She sips her drink again and wrinkles her face up. “Hey, you wanna leave? We can just go back to Seven Eleven or something. This party blows,”

George smiles. “Sure, whatever. I’m gonna go to the bathroom, meet outside in five minutes?”

Minx nods and heads towards the door. 

George walks into an empty hallway, realizing that he has no idea where the bathroom is. And god, this house is _huge._ George stands at a proud five foot nine, but the towering walls and broad hallways make him feel like a little kid lost in a supermarket.

He watches as a girl makes her way down the hallway. He sucks in a breath and calls out to her. “Hey,” he says, “Do you know where the bathroom is?”

Her shoulder length hair whips around her face as she turns around. The girl’s almond-shaped eyes crinkle when she smiles, white teeth shining from the dim hall lights. “Of course, this is my house after all! I can't remember ever meeting you though,” Her warm smile only widens at the supposed thought of a new friend. Her whole face seems to glow with friendliness, her blue eyeshadow twinkling.

“Oh, um, my friend and I just transferred to the high school, so we thought a party would be a great way to meet people?” George wasn't great at talking to anyone at all, especially strangers, but this girl had a friendly demeanor that wasn’t very threatening. “So, where is the bathroom again?” 

A small giggle escaped her lips. “Sounds more like you crashed to me,” she whispers. George sputters, and before he starts to make up an excuse she laughs again and points across the hall. “I’m just teasing! Two doors on the left!” She tosses one last grin as she begins to stroll down the hall, humming to herself.

“Thank you!” George drags his feet along the smooth carpet. He smiles awkwardly one more time at the girl before he wanders off, failing to notice a figure looming at the end of the hall.

\---

“Do we really have to do this?”

Bad pushes Dream closer to the door. “Yes, you muffinhead, now walk in!”

“And we already showed up an hour and a half late for you to walk in like the mysterious bachelor you are.” Sapnap rolls his eyes.

“I swear, if I see Maia at all I'm leaving.” 

“What are you, a middle schooler? Suck it up and let loose, it’s one of the last days of freedom!”

“We’re seniors. We practically already have freedom,” Bad sighs. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going in. I’m actually looking forward to this party. He opens the door and walks in turning around for one last word. “And Sapnap, please keep an eye on Dream, I’m worried some rabid junior girl will try to make out with him.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you want, babe,” Sapnap sighs, chipping at his polished black nails.

He shuts the door in the boy’s faces. Dream sighs, slumping over a little more. “I guess I’ll go in. I want alcohol.”

“What a great coping method. Anyways, I’m going to get Bad. I want to crush him in beer pong.”

“Didn’t Bad ask you to watch me?” 

“Do you _really_ want that? I am literally the worst person to be supervised by. I’m doing you a favor, man. You should be fuckin’ worshipping me right now.,”

Dream really can’t argue with that logic.

Sapnap takes this as his permission to leave. “See you later, Golden Boy,” he cackles, giving a two finger salute.

And with that, Sapnap walks in, slamming the door in Dream’s face.

 _What am I doing?_ Dream thinks, _Maia was just a girl. We weren’t even that serious. Maybe Sapnap and Bad are right. I really should find someone to take my mind off her, or at least try to enjoy myself._

Finally, after about ten minutes of standing there like an absolute moron, Dream shrugs and walks into the house.

Immediately he’s hit with a stench of cheap alcohol and sweat. Music blasts from some random room in the house, and Dream could sense all eyes were on him. Putting on his “confident popular boy” facade, he squares his shoulders and casually walks to the kitchen. After dating his ex for seven months, has used to the layout of the house, despite its size. The place is basically a mansion, with endless rooms and passages, making it perfect for a high school party.

Accidentally making eye contact with some random girl as he walks towards the kitchen, she quickly looks down, a magenta blush covering her pale cheeks.

_I guess that’s one less person staring at me._

Dream looks around, stiff limbs hanging at his sides. Laughter bounces all around him. Who could possibly enjoy themselves here? He’s not sure what to do with his hands, or whether he’s supposed to sit down or not, or where he’s supposed to go. Even after four years of dealing with the high school social scene, he still isn’t sure how to act. Dream wanders around the empty hallways. He hears soft laughter through muffled walls, and the sound of friends and couples enjoying themselves only solidifies the strangling loneliness he felt.

About to cross into the living room, Dream turns to see her, _Maia,_ standing across from him in a quiet hallway.The one person he's been trying to avoid. _How did I not recognize her laughter?_ It was the thing he loved most about her, that and the way she could light up a whole room just with her smile. She’s still stunning, her grin brightening up the dingy hallway. She giggles as she talks to someone, another _guy,_ who reciprocates the same beam. His heart plummets. _Has she already moved on that quickly?_ He glowers at the guy, some skinny kid with dark hair and pale skin. Dream’s eyes follow the boy as he makes his way down the hall, still smiling to himself.

Maia turns, a warm smile branded on her face, and catches Dream staring. Her eyes flicker. Hurt flashes across her face, her smile loses its genuinity for a split second, before she turns and walks the other way. A part of him crumbles. He’s already seen her walk away, and yet it still feels like a new, fresh wound. 

It all becomes too much. The laughter bleeds through the tilting walls, each shout an assault on his ears. His hands quiver, and the lump caught in his throat threatens to burst.

He runs.

Dream shoves past the guy she was talking to, causing his skinny limbs to fumble back. Sprinting into the bathroom, Dream slams the door behind him, turning the water in the sink all the way up. Splashing his face, and even some of his shirt by accident with water, he takes a deep breath, trying to hold back tears but failing. Salty drops mix with cool, fresh ones, leaving blotches on Dream’s skin and searing hurt into his chest.

_In and out. Deep breaths. It’s going to be okay._

\--

Stumbling back, George watches as some guy with a yellow hoodie darts into the bathroom. He starts to yell out, before he notices his red rimmed eyes and quivering lip. The guy’s hands shake as he bursts into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

George pads quietly down the carpeted hall, stopping in front of the large bathroom door, pressing soft knocks to the door.

“Please go away,” The voice from inside comes through muffled and vulnerable. 

“Hey, are you alright?” George cringes at how shy he sounds. _Of course he’s not okay, idiot._ He sucks in a breath and tries again. “What happened back there? Why’d you shove me?”

He hears the door click. Out emerges a disheveled looking figure, eyes glistening from fresh tears, and a face that looked like it had just been splashed with water. His hoodie (George wonders how he isn’t being cooked alive) has been haphazardly splashed in water.The guy easily has a good couple inches on him and a head of messy blond hair, and George stumbles back in surprise.

The guy only scowls as he gives him a once-over. “What do you want?”

“You looked upset,” George replies.

“Well, nice going, Sherlock. You’re quite the observant one,” he spits back at him. 

George crosses his arms over his chest. “You don’t need to be all nasty about it,”

“Well, I’m gonna be anyway,”

“I just wanted to make sure-”

“Please. Just, leave me alone. I don’t want to talk to you,”

The two sit in silence for a moment. The words sting George for only a moment. Now out of pure spite, he decides that he isn't going anywhere. The guy in front of him pushes a shaky hand through his sandy hair and exhales. “Jesus Christ, why are you _still here_?” he groans.

“I mean, I was heading to the bathroom for a reason,” George offers quietly.

Realization flickers across the boy’s eyes. “Oh. Right,” He provides an awkward nod and shuffles out of the doorway.

George, after a couple minutes spent in the bathroom, shakes extra condensation off his hands as he emerges into the hallway. He is greeted with the sight of a yellow hoodie loitering in the doorway. 

“You’re still here?” George squeaks.

The guy rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah. I, uh… I’m sorry. About, you know-”

“Being a huge jerk?”

The guy nods, traces of a smile flickering on his lips. “Hey, um, I wanted to ask you something,”

George leans against the wall, the material somehow feeling expensive against his back. _Damn these rich people._ He exhales. “Go for it,”

The guy before him sucks in a deep breath. “How’s Maia?” He fiddles with his hoodie strings, “Is she…doing okay?”

“Oh, the one who showed me where the bathroom was? She's really sweet,” 

“Yeah, she seemed really happy talking to you,” His voice is tainted with jealousy.

George’s grin only widens. “Oh, so _that’s_ what this is all about?” he says, gesturing up and down at the guy. 

The boy gives a pained nod. As much as he tries, George fails to suppress his laughter. It comes out as a snort as he bends over. 

His face flashes pink and he fidgets with his hands. “What’s so funny?”

George lets out a giggle. “You’re jealous,” he singsongs, plastering a shit-eating grin on his face.

“No I’m not,” for the first time in the whole conversation, he smiles.

“Holy shit, you so are,” George laughs, shoving his shoulder lightly. 

The guy grumbles and looks away, failing to hide a grin.

“Hey, hey guess what,” George giggled, “I’m gonna steal your girl. Swipe her from right under your nose. Sweep her off her feet. Do the heterosexual fucking with her,” 

This brings a wheeze out of the guy. Bright laughter from the both of them illuminates the empty hallway. They stand in silence for a moment, staring at each other before cracking up again.

“Are you new?” The guy finally gets out after several bouts of laughter.

“Yup! I just transferred from St. Peter’s. Going into senior year over at Columbus”

“Oh. I’m a senior too.” He grins at him.

George returns the gesture. “Maybe we’ll be in the same classes.”

Another flush darts across the boy’s freckled nose. “I hope so,” 

The two smile at each other again. Warm butterflies flapped against the cavity of George’s chest. “I guess I’ll see you in September,” 

“I’m looking forward to it,” the boy says, waving his hand a little. George giggles.

Before the boy turns to leave, George grabs his wrist. “By the way,” he says, the two locking eye contact, “Maia does seem happy.”

The guy’s eyes flicker with an indecipherable emotion. “Thanks,” his voice softens, “I’ll… I’ll keep in in mind,”

And with that, the boy stumbles away, his smile still branded into George’s brain even after he turns his yellow back into the faceless crowd. He disappears into the bustle of the party, leaving George to wonder if he was even real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's the end of the party scene! i hope you liked dream and george's first interaction, me and my friends spent a lot of time on it to make sure it flowed right.  
> once again thank you for all the help my amazing friends :))
> 
> any feedback is again, appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of pining on both ends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls ignore the summary i'm so bad at writing them..  
> thank you so so much for the recent support! i just noticed that we are almost at 100 hits!! that's actually insane i am freaking out! greatful for you guys so much <3  
> *tw for underage drinking again!*

_Did that actually just happen?_

George raises his eyebrows, touching his warm cheeks gingerly, suddenly remembering a (probably not very patient) Minx awaiting. In all of the (flirting? Was it flirting? George really was convinced that guy was straight at first, but yet the light brush of pink on his freckled cheeks and his fond smile made him unsure), George had almost forgotten about her. Quickly, he runs back out the door of the house, not stopping to say goodbye to Maia or anyone else.

He steps out into the cool summer night, Minx on the driveway on her phone. She looks up. “Finally! Only took you five hours,”

“Yeah sorry, I got held up by this guy crying. He was super tall too and wearing this ugly yellow hoodie, but I think it could’ve been green? Doesn’t matter. Anyway, apparently he was jealous of me just because I asked Maia where the bathroom was, and he was all pissed, but then he softened up and I’m pretty sure we were flirting-” George rambles, still out of breath from sprinting out of the house.

“Woah! Slow down, buckeroo. Deep breaths. Deep breaths,” 

George lets air fill his lungs and filter back out into the humid night. He stops panting. Combining his excitement to tell Minx what had happened and the fact he was very out of shape was not a good match. 

“Okay, now tell me, _slowly,_ what happened,”

“I met this, this _guy_ , Minx. He was all upset about some girl he thought I fancied. But then I used my wits and irresistible good looks to get him on my good side,” George jokes, trying to make light of how desperate he sounded crushing on some guy crying over a girl.

Minx’s eyes widen. “Was that girl Maia by any chance?”

George gets taken aback for a second, sensing Minx knows something he doesn’t. “How did you know?” 

Minx throws her head back and laughs. “Man, you’re so clueless when it comes to this. I don’t even go to the same school and I still know it's been the talk all summer!”

“Minx, I have no idea what you’re talking about-” 

“Can’t believe you got interrogated by the one and only _Dream_. Someone was telling me they broke up, nobody thought he was gonna go to her party after that.”

_That’s his name, huh?_ “Dream? What kind of name is that?” It was strange, sure. But interesting enough that made George want to know more about him.

“I don’t know. This school’s weird. But Dream’s like the most popular kid in the grade. But man, he’s intimidating. Might be like, over six feet tall or something. Anyway, he’s supposed to be, like, super confident”

Minx is definitely wrong about that. The way Dream got jealous so easily, and had a near panic attack when seeing George talk to his ex made George see him in a completely different way. A way that maybe he didn’t show many. He felt a flush creeping across his nose again, feeling prideful in the fact that maybe, just possibly, he knew Dream better than most people at his new school thought they did. He has to hold back a flustered giggle thinking that, only after their first meeting, they are connected in a way. “Well, let's talk about this later.” George speaks up, a little embarrassed after almost giggling about a boy he just met. “I’m starving. Let’s go.”

“Roger that!” Minx says sarcastically, giving a salute.

\--

He really should’ve gotten his name. 

Dream meant to. He really did, but there was something about that kid that caught his voice in his throat. Those dark eyes gave him an urge that made him want to run far, far away. 

Is it strange how those eyes remind him of Maia? The way they crinkled when they laughed, swimming with something joyful. That boy reminded him exactly of his ex girlfriend, and he hated it. 

How him and Maia would joke around, talk for hours. How she was stubborn, but confident. How they could talk for hours and never get bored of one another. It just drew him in.

After wandering away from the boy, Dream goes to the kitchen to grab a drink. He felt restless and fidgety, needing something to do with his hands.

Quickly getting himself a beer, Dream walks into the living room, where the music is blasting, shaking the floor, and about ten or so people are standing around a table yelling words of praise. At one end of the table was Sapnap, face stuck in a focused gaze as he lines up his ping pong ball to make another shot, locked in a heated beer pong battle with Bad. _Figures._

Walking up behind Bad, Dream nudges his shoulder. “Hey Bad,”

His friend turns around, looking relieved. “Oh! It’s just you. Where have you been for the past half an hour?”

Dream may feel a little guilty for ditching his friends for the whole party, but at that very moment, he definitely doesn’t regret talking to that boy he met. Taking the safer route, he swiftly switches to the topic of his ex-girlfriend. “Wandering around I guess. You’ll never guess who I ran in-”

“Wait, hold that thought. It’s my turn.” Bad bounces his ball on the table, aiming it into a cup. “Chug, Sap.” It was very obvious this had happened multiple times, as Bad looked almost sober while Sapnap was a wobbling, drunk mess.

Sapnap grabs the cup and drinks the beer in two big gulps. He woops from the other end of the table, suddenly noticing the presence of his missing friend. “Hey Dream! ‘S been a while!”

Dream grins. “Someone’s wasted.” 

“I only had like, three drinks!”

“Fucking lightweight.”

“You wish, Dreamy boy!” He sniggers. “I could outdrink you any day.”

“Whatever you say, darling,”

Sapnap scowls. “You don’t get to call me that. Not anymore,” he looks away wistfully.

Dream snorts. “Alright. Who sucked Sapnap’s dick?” Effectively making everyone else in the room laugh. His friend has a way of making Dream immediately feel better, and after knowing each other for so long their bantering flowed smoothly and effortlessly.

“A better question would be who would,” Bad giggles at his snarky comment, not bothering to scold Dream for cursing.

Sapnap either chooses not to hear or is too wasted to listen. “So, Dream, my _amigo,_ my _compadre, please,_ tell us what you’ve been doing! We’ve missed you dearly ,” Sapnap says, showing absolutely zero interest in Dream and continuing to lose at beer pong.

_Just had my gay awakening._ “Oh, heh, well you know,” Dream coughs. _I_ _had a meltdown in front of some twink and proceeded to eye fuck him for twenty minutes._ “Nothing much. Just grabbed a drink.”

“For that long?” Bad snides. 

“Yeah, traffic was crazy,”

“You can’t make that joke. You can’t even drive, you pussy,” Sapnap cackles, watching as his plastic ball rolls off the rim of a cup. Bad snickers.

“Oh, fuck off, Pissboyhalo,”

“Language,”

“Language my a-”

“Ladies, ladies! Cool your beans. Sapnap, maybe let's slow down on the alcohol,”

“Only if you tell me what you’ve _really_ been doing,” Sapnap singsongs and giggles.

Dream cringes, racking his brain for some excuse to make. He really isn’t trying to out himself to his whole school at the moment, or worse, expose the fact he was crying in the bathroom after seeing his ex even make contact with someone of the opposite gender.

Maybe Bad notices his facial expression or tense posture, but he quickly interrupts. “I almost forgot! Dream and I have to...watch his sister! We have to be home by eleven, sorry everyone,”

The rest of the teenagers groan, disappointed that the cup pong was cut short. Maybe it was really just that entertaining to watch Sapnap lose.

Sapnap speaks up, confused. “What? Isn’t she at her f-”

“She came home early!” Dream half-yells, waving his arms. “I just got the text from her. We have to be home immediately. That’s why I came to find you.”

Finally Sapnap puts two and two together, his eyes lighting up with understanding. “Well, then I guess we’re leaving. Let me grab a drink-”

But Dream is already behind him, pulling on his friend’s arm. “No time for that! My parents will kill me if I’m late!”

Sapnap rolls his eyes, letting Dream drag him out the door, Bad following close behind. Sapnap waves to the crowd of people, calling, “See y’all soon! Don’t miss us too much!” They cheer loudly, and then the trio is gone.

Walking home in the cold, dark night, Sapnap stays quiet for approximately one second. “What was that about? Is something wrong?”

Bad shushes him and turns to Dream, noticing his far-off look. “Sorry we forced you to come. We should’ve just skipped, I mean your _ex_ was hosting.”

Dream signs. “It’s fine. It was just a weird night. Kinda felt like a hallucination.”

“I won at beer pong at least! Skeppy owes me ten bucks now,”

“You heard it here first, everyone,” Sapnap drawls, “Skeppy is Bad’s sugar daddy,”

“Shut up, Sapnap,” Bad scoffs, shoving Sapnap’s shoulder.

“So Dreamy, what had you lollygagging on this fine evening?” Sapnap leans into Dream, causing the two to stumble.

Dream pauses. _What am I supposed to tell them?_ He juggles his options; he could either open up and be tormented for the rest of his waking days, or create some shitty excuse that will probably never get Sapnap off his case. Neither seemed ideal. “Ah, well you know-”

“Alright, cut the shit. Who did you hook up with?”

“...what?” Dream stutters for a second, caught off guard by Sapnap’s bluntness. He was certainly too drunk at the moment to have a filter.

“You heard me. If you’re gonna disappear at a party for half an hour and come back all frazzled, I need to know you who did the-” Sapnap wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

“-Ok that’s enough!” Bad cuts in, panicked. “Don’t pressure the poor guy!”

Dream sighs with relief. He really didn’t want to hear what Sapnap would say after that sentence. He opens his mouth, trying to get something out without sounding weird. How do you tell your friends you almost got over someone in a night, that you already have someone new to think about? And additionally, that someone was a guy, a guy you don’t even know the name of.

“Well, I was walking to the kitchen,” He starts.

Sapnap yawns. “Get to the good part already!”

Dream rolls his eyes and shoves Sapnap lightly, more like a tap because even a small push would be enough to topple him over. “I’m getting to it! So I turn the corner, and I see Maia laughing at something this random guy said-” Out of the corner of his eye he can see Bad cringe. “So I ran into the bathroom and started crying because I just, well, assumed the worst I guess?” Sapnap laughs from beside him. “And like a second later the same guy she was talking with comes to see if I was okay, because I kind of pushed him while I was running...But that’s not important! Anyways, turns out the guy was pretty funny and made me feel a little better, and we got along pretty well after a short conversation-”

“In short, you fell for him,” Sapnap yawns and scratches his neck. “I mean, at least you’re over Maia. Man, that’s a relief.”

Was it really that easy for Sapnap to analyze him? Dream is speechless for a moment, staring at Sapnap with wide eyes. He looks over to Bad for some reassurance, but the other boy is looking at him with a proud smile on his face. “Oh so you moved on? That’s great! What’s his name?”

Is it really this easy for his friends to look inside his head? Maybe Dream had been preparing for the worst possible scenario, for Bad and Sapnap to start laughing at him for falling so easily, or even bully him for exaggerating over Maia, but he was hit instead with relief. Maybe he had been wallowing in his own pity for so long, that his friends just wanted him to be happy again. “Thank you guys, I really needed to hear that.” he says, smiling. 

Sapnap grins and slings his arm around Dream. “So, who wants to get food?”

Bad laughs. “You’re paying though. Also Dream, I know you just ignored my question! Don’t tell me you didn’t get his name!”

Dream wheezes, looking away from Bad at the floor. He really did mess things up this time.

He did have to talk to that boy again though, no matter what. 

\--

_Dream._

That was his name. George would be lying if he said he didn’t whisper it a couple times to himself once he got home, in the comfort of his cool, dark room. 

His name was odd, sure, but it fit him. His playful eyes, his tousled hairーthey just screamed it. They screamed _Dream,_ for a reason George still can’t put his finger on as he cranks the water in the shower colder and colder, lost in his thoughts.

Thoughts of Dream distract him from his horrible home life, his parents knowing grins and intrusive questions about everything. When George got home they immediately asked him to explain in very vivid detail where he had been. Luckily George had a photo of the library he went to earlier with Minx to take fake pictures for tonight as proof. Good thing his parents didn’t know photos had a date.

Wind rushes past George’s ears as he heaves onto his bed. His shirt sticks against his shoulders, condensation slicking skin to fabric. His room was so painfully humid all the time, so much that his mom liked to joke he was living in a heatwave. Regardless of how many fans he put in his room, the heat was almost too much to bear. Cotton sheets shift around him as he sees flashes of Dream from beneath his eyelids, the warmth of the room melting his ability to think clearly. Snapshots of a sharp jawline and an elegant slope of a long, sturdy nose shove their way to the forefront of his mind. Dull thuds of a trembling heart beat in sync with Dream’s conversation with him, playing on loop in George’s mind.

With each repeat, he zooms the lense in on the small detailsーthe crinkles of Dream’s sunkissed skin when his eyes scrunch up in a grin. Splashes of freckles dancing across his face. Small dimples pressing into his cheeks. 

His heart still soars at the sound of Dream’s laughter, still reverberating through his limbs. If Maia’s laugh illuminated that hallway, then Dream’s was the fucking _sun._ It shimmered down from each and every window, overflowing George’s chest with light. He had only heard him laugh for a short period, but he wanted more. George’s lungs squeezed and his fingers danced with excitement. He misses that laugh. He desperately wants to let it blind him again, let its shimmering rays find their way to his heart.

Nobody had ever intrigued him like that boy. It was strange how after only a short conversation he was so infatuated. George didn’t want to let a chance like this pass up. Fuck his parents, fuck marriage, and fuck the rest of his shitty life pretending to be someone he wasn’t.

He had to talk to Dream again.

\--

Dream sees him everywhere.

He sees his frame in the skinny freshmen who skitter down the halls. He sees his shirt in the muted blue of his locker as he piles supplies into it. He sees him in the flash of dark hair that shoves him against his locker, briefly knocking the wind out of him.

“ _Sapnap!_ ” He mumbles halfway into his locker, getting a mouthful of his backpack.

Sapnap pats his back, pushing his friend harder into his locker. “Dream! New school year, motherfucker!” 

Catching his breath, he pulls himself out of his lower, glowering at Sapnap. “Yeah. Woo. Was there really a need to assault me?,”

“For your _information,_ Dream, yes. It was. It’s one of the many ways I show _affection_. That and you won’t let me kiss you in the hall,”

Dream scrunches his face in disgust, gathering the last of his supplies. He turns to Sapnap. “You ready?”

“No,” He says, looking at Dream like he’s stupid.

“Sap, class starts in two minutes,” Honestly, by now he should be used to Sapnap’s uncanny ability to shove all the things into his locker in five seconds.

“Yeah, yeah. Dream, you know it takes much less time if you just don’t use your locker? You could just just carry your bag around instead of being a coward,” Sapnap explains as Dream blatantly ignores him, “But besides that, look, Dream,” Sapnap points into the crowd. Dream follows his gaze, and easily spots who he’s referring to.

At the far end of the hallway stands a boy all too familiar to Dream. His slender frame is hunched over, and his pale fingers fiddle with his backpack straps. Wearing a navy blue crewneck with a white collar poking through from underneath and black converse. _A button up._ A style that made the boy look like the preppy ex-private school kid he was. His dark eyes are steely with anxiety. 

“It’s him,” Dream breathes. Somehow the nerdy outfit made him even more magnetic.

“It’s him,” The corners of Sapnap’s mouth twist into a shit-eating grin.

Dream glances at Sapnap, and then back at the boy. 

“Don’t just stand there. Go talk to him,” Sapnap says, drumming his fingers against the metal lockers. He leans back, pushing Dream towards the boy. 

“W-what? How?” Dream panics. Even looking at that boy got his heart beating fast and his hands clamming up again.

Sapnap stares up at Dream and groans. “ _Please_ tell me you’re joking,” 

“Sap, I speak from the bottom of my heart when I tell you I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about,” He says dryly, nervously peaking glances at the boy every five seconds.

“Dude, it’s not, like, astrophysics. You just go up,” Sapnap draws out his arms to gesture down the hallway, eyes wide and smile taught, “and you _speak_. You know how to speak, right? You open your mouth and-“

“You know what, Sapnap?” Dream, cuts him off, “I _am_ gonna go over and talk to him. Just, please, _God,_ stop talking. Forever,” He groans. 

“Whatever you want, sweet cheeks. Please just head over there. Walk. Talk to the love of your life. Make out. Fu-“

“Alright!” Dream claps his hands. “I’ll talk to you later,” he points stiff finger guns at Sapnap as he swiftly makes his way to the other end of the hallway. He shuffles through the crowd, several students moving out of his way as he passes by. He mumbles thanks to a few before frantically zigzagging through nervous new freshmen and seniors that somehow already look apathetic. Dream scans the sea of blank faces, looking for a familiar face shining in the commotion. When he catches a glimpse of dark hair on pale skin, Dream stumbles to catch up, only to watch as the boy turns a corner and disappears into the bustling crowd. 

Dream curses under his breath, looking around one last time. But the boy is gone, presumably showing up to first period on time like a normal human being. _Shit. I have to get to class._

Disappointed, Dream turns around, sprinting to class in the opposite direction.

_I’m not giving up on you yet._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> urgh sorry about that cliffhanger lolol. need to keep readers interested! so i decided to make this chapter a lot longer then the others, because it's probably better if i have longer, more spaced out updates that have a lot of thought and effort in them. it's not like i don't check my work (trust me, me and my friends read over chapters a lot) but i want to make the chapters less dialogue heavy and more detail oriented if that makes sense? chapters will probably be longer too from now on.  
> special thanks to my friends for editing and even writing some parts!  
> p.s. - feedback is greatly appreciated, especially criticism, and i love to respond to comments :)


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